Noise barrier wall or building panel and mounting assembly

Abstract

A noise barrier or other type wall or building assembly includes a plurality of spans each extending between spaced apart posts and having top and bottom girts affixed to the posts and in turn supporting a plurality or series of vertically disposed panels. Unique mating interlock elements integrally formed along both lateral edges of the wall or building exterior panels allow the sequential interconnection of all panels in a series by means of a rotating displacement of the individual panels to yield multilateral interlocking of the panels. The panel faces are configured to provide shadow texture, while masking of the posts and top girts in a free-standing type wall is obtained by a split cover assembly and split cap trim, respectively.

I claim: 
     
       1. A noise barrier assembly including, a span having two spaced apart support posts having lower portions mounted within the ground, top and bottom girts extending between said posts and fixed thereto, a plurality of vertically disposed panels extending between said posts and between said girts, said panels provided with opposite side walls having cooperating mating interlock elements providing a multilateral interlock between adjacent panels following the sequential joining of said interlock elements of succeeding panels, means fastening the opposite ends of said interlocked panels to said top and bottom girts, and said fastening means engaging said joined interlock elements to secure same to said girts. 
     
     
       2. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 wherein, one said panel side wall includes a male interlock element and the other said panel side wall is provided with a mating female interlock element. 
     
     
       3. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 wherein, each said panel includes an obverse face, said side wall extending rearwardly from said obverse face to said interlock elements, opposed side walls of adjacent panels of said interlocked panels spaced from one another to provide a narrow recess extending substantially the full depth of said panels, said fastening means disposed in the bottom of said recesses whereby, said recesses provide a heavy shadow texture and screen said fasteners. 
     
     
       4. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 wherein, said support posts include oppositely facing mounting flanges, said top and bottom girts selectively fixable to either said mounting flanges, said panels provided with contoured obverse and reverse faces each yielding a different shadow texture whereby, fixation of said girts to alternate ones of said post mounting flanges and fastening of said panels to said girts exposes alternate said panel faces when viewed from any one side of a plurality of said spans. 
     
     
       5. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 including, a cap trim overlying said top girt and the upper portion of said panels. 
     
     
       6. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 including, a cover assembly surrounding all sides of said support posts and ends of said girts fixed thereto. 
     
     
       7. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 including, a plurality of said spans disposed in series with each adjacent pair of said spans separated by one said support post. 
     
     
       8. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 wherein, said two girts are of identical convoluted form with said top and bottom girts being reversed and inverted from one another. 
     
     
       9. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 1 wherein, said interlock elements extend throughout the vertical extent of said panel side walls to provide a continuous interlock between said panels throughout their height. 
     
     
       10. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 2 wherein, both said interlock elements include a base mounting section engageable with a mating one of said interlock elements of an adjacent panel, said female element base mounting section joined to an inwardly directed nose and overlying a portion of said girts, said male element base section joined to an outwardly directed nose whereby, said male element nose is insertable within said female element nose to sandwich said female element base mounting section between said male base mounting section and said girts. 
     
     
       11. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 5 wherein, said cap trim includes a pair of similar half sections having top walls overlying one another and said top grit. 
     
     
       12. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 6 wherein, said cover assembly includes a pair of similar half sections each having distal mounting flanges and fasteners securing said flanges together. 
     
     
       13. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 7 wherein, said support posts include oppositely facing mounting flanges, said top and bottom girts of alternate said spans fixed to opposite ones of said post mounting flanges, said panels provided with contoured obverse and reverse faces each yielding a different shadow texture whereby, fixation of said girts to alternate one of said post mounting flanges and fastening of said panels to said girts exposes alternate said panel faces when viewed from any one side of said assembly. 
     
     
       14. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 8 wherein, each said girt includes a vertical mounting flange fixable to said posts and joined to a horizontal wall juxtaposed a respective end of said panels, a raised section joined to a top wall spaced from said horizontal wall and the width of said horizontal wall is no less than the depth of said panels. 
     
     
       15. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 10 including, a vertical wall adjacent said male element base mounting section opposite said male element nose, a vertical flange adjacent said female element base mounting section opposite said female element nose whereby, angular insertion and subsequent rotation of said male element of one panel within said female element of another panel produces a camming action of said vertical wall against said vertical flange to urge said male element nose into said female element nose. 
     
     
       16. A noise barrier assembly according to claim 15 wherein, said angular insertion and rotation of said male element of one panel within said female element of another panel transpires entirely adjacent the mounting plane defined by said girts. 
     
     
       17. A panel assembly including, a span having two vertical support members spaced from one another, top and bottom girts extending between said support members and fixed thereto, a plurality of vertically disposed panels extending between said support members and between said girts, said panels provided with opposite side walls respectively having cooperating mating male and female interlock elements providing a multilateral interlock between adjacent panels following the sequential joining of said interlock elements of succeeding panels, means fastening the opposite ends of said interlocked panels to said top and bottom girts whereby, angular insertion and subsequent rotation of said male element of one panel within said female element of another panel produces a camming action between said elements to urge said male element into said female element.